Upper North Shore building data 2026: approval times, rents, build costs and duplex rules

The figures that shape a new home or knockdown rebuild in the Ku-ring-gai and Hornsby council areas, collected in one place from NSW Government, council and published builder sources, with dates. Free to cite with a link to this page.

By XLGUpdated: 2026-10-28Every figure is dated and sourced

Short answer

In 2026, a DA took an average of 84 days in Ku-ring-gai and 96 days in Hornsby [1]; median weekly house rent for new leases was A$1,400 in Ku-ring-gai and A$975 in Hornsby [2]; North Shore builders quote about A$3,200–A$5,500 per m² to build [3]; and a dual occupancy needs at least 1,015 m² in Ku-ring-gai outside its Local Housing Areas, or 700–800 m² in Hornsby outside heritage conservation areas [4] [5]. AUD Build’s calculator puts a 280 m² custom knockdown rebuild on a sloping Upper North Shore block, through a DA with asbestos removal and a year’s rent, at about A$1.24m–A$1.70m before contingency [9].

Approval times

Council	Average DA assessment days (September 2026)
Ku-ring-gai	84
Hornsby	96
Ryde	87
The Hills	87
Northern Beaches	78
Mosman	80
Parramatta	94

All DA types, not only new homes [1]. A complying CDC can be issued in as little as 20 days if the lot and design qualify [7].

Rent while you build

Area	Median weekly house rent (April–June 2026)	52 weeks
Ku-ring-gai	A$1,400 (A$1,550 for 4+ bedrooms)	A$72,800
Hornsby	A$975	A$50,700
The Hills	A$900	A$46,800
Greater Sydney	A$800	A$41,600

[2]

Construction rates

Specification	Hills and North Shore builder (per m²)	Most other Sydney guides (per m²)
Project or medium	A$3,200–3,800	A$2,000–2,650
Custom mid-range	A$3,800–4,500	A$2,565–3,500
High or premium	A$4,500–5,500	A$3,430–4,300

The North Shore builder measures habitable floor area and works on sloping, constrained sites [3].

Duplex and site rules

Ku-ring-gai: 1,015 m² minimum for a dual occupancy DA outside the Local Housing Areas and for every CDC; inside those areas a DA can use the state 450 m² standard [4].
Hornsby: 700 m² (attached) or 800 m² (detached) outside heritage conservation areas, and 800 m² or 900 m² inside them [5].
Complying development is excluded on heritage items and heritage conservation areas, and bushfire-prone land is excluded from the Low and Mid-Rise Housing policy [7] [6].

AUD Build Group completed homes by suburb

Homes completed by AUD Build Group building companies since September 2024, counted by occupation certificate date [8]:

Suburb	Homes
Roseville	1
Lindfield	1
Killara	1
Pymble	1
Turramurra	3
North Turramurra	1
South Turramurra	1
Wahroonga	3
Upper North Shore total	12
Beecroft	1
Westleigh	1
Hornsby	1
Mount Colah	1
Hornsby Shire total	4

Questions

How long does a DA take in Ku-ring-gai?

84 days on average across all DA types in the NSW Government’s September 2026 council league table; Hornsby averaged 96 days.

How much does it cost to build on the Upper North Shore?

North Shore builders quote about A$3,200–A$5,500 per m², and a 280 m² custom knockdown rebuild on a sloping block, through a DA with asbestos removal and a year’s rent, comes to about A$1.24m–A$1.70m before contingency in AUD Build’s calculator.

What is the minimum lot size for a duplex in Ku-ring-gai?

1,015 m² outside the Local Housing Areas and for every CDC, according to Ku-ring-gai Council; inside those areas a DA can use the state 450 m² standard.